Shaft and bearing arrangement for a carding machine



Sept. 2 19 9 HANS-FRIEDRICH BOVENSIEPEN SHAFT AND BEARING ARRANGEMENT FOR A CARDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1967 S 2 1 HANS-FRIEDRICH BOVENSIEPEN 454 092 SHAFT AND BEARING ARRANGEMENT FOR A CARDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor:

S t, 2, 1969 HANS-FRIEDRICH BOVENSIEPEN 3,4 4,092

SHAFT AND BEARING ARRANGEMENT FOR A CARDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1967 4 Sheets-Shet 3 mun nunmuluunnuum H. m... I

7 lulullluuInluulnulllinlllnuluuuu n lnvento r:

Sept. 2, 1969 HANS-FRIEDRICH BOVENSlEPEN 3,464,092

SHAFT AND BEARING ARRANGEMENT FOR A CARDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 9, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor:

United States Patent 3,464,092 SHAFT AND BEARING ARRANGEMENT FOR A CARDING MACHINE Hans-Friedrich Bovensiepen, Hasseler Str. 32, Metzkausen, Germany Filed Oct. 9, 1967, Ser. No. 673,899 Claims priority, application Germany, Oct. 8, 1966,

Int. (:1. Dtllg i5/12, /28

US. Cl. 19-98 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The main cylinder and the worker rollers of a carding machine are supported by self-aligning bearings on nonrotatable shafts so that oscillations due to unbalanced masses are eliminated, and the distance between the worker rollers and the carding cylinders remains constant.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Carding machines are known in which the carding cylinders cooperates with a plurality of worker rollers. In other carding machines, the carding cylinder cooperates with endless carding flats. The present invention is applicable to both constructions.

For the proper operation of a carding machine, it is important that the card clothing of the carding cylinder moves at a constant small distance from the card clothing of the worker rollers or flats. Consequently, it is necessary that the card cylinder has the precise shape of a circular cylinder, and rotates without eccentric movements about its axis of rotation, and this is also true for worker rollers which have a card clothing.

In accordance with the prior art, the card cylinder and the worker rollers are fixedly secured to driven rotary shafts. Due to the great weight of the card cylinder, the supporting shaft is bent, and a curved shape is transmitted to the outer cylindrical wall of the card cylinder and thereby to the card clothing so that the surface of the card cylinder is continuously deformed during rotation. The same is true for the worker rollers which are also fixedly secured to driven rotary shafts. Since the card cylinder and the worker rollers rotate at high speeds, oscillations occur which are amplified by the unbalanced rotating masses so that the supporting frame in which the rotary shafts are mounted, also starts to oscillate. As a result, the distance between the card clothing of the card cylinder and the card clothing on the worker rollers or card flats does not remain constant.

Therefore, this distance must be suflicient to be reduced by the deformation of a card cylinder and of the worker rollers without touching of the points of the steel wire hooks of the card clothing of the card cylinder and worker rollers or carding flats.

In accordance with one construction of the prior art, the rotary shaft of the card cylinder is mounted in selfaligning bearings on the supporting frame of the machine, but this construction hardly influence the distance between the card clothings required under consideration of the deformations of the card cylinder and worker rollers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to overcome these disadvantages of prior art constructions, and to provide a shaft and bearing arrangement for a carding machine by which a very small constant distance between the card clothings can be maintained.

Another object of the invention is to prevent oscillations of the shafts on which the carding cylinder and the worker rollers are mounted.

With these objects in view, the carding cylinder, or working cylinders, or like carding means are not fixed to rotary shafts, but are mounted on a non-rotating shaft or axle by means of self-aligning bearings. The nonrotatable shaft may be rigidly fixed in the supporting frame of the machine, but it is preferred to mount the shaft in self-aligning joint bearings assuming a position corresponding to the bent condition of the shaft. One embodiment of the invention comprises a shaft, carding means, for example, the carding cylinder or a worker roller, self-aligning bearing means supporting the carding means on the shaft for rotation while the shaft is in a condition bent by the weight of the carding means, and drive means for rotating the carding means relative to the shaft so that the same does not rotate.

The shaft may be fixedly secured to the supporting frame of the machine, but it is preferred to mount the shaft end portions in self-aligning joint bearings which assume a position corresponding to the angular positions of the supported portions of the bent shaft.

The carding means, for example, the carding cylinder, is preferably supported in two spaced self-aligning bearings, one of which blocks movement of the carding means in axial direction, while the other supports the carding means for axial movement. In the same manner, one of the joint bearings holds the respective shaft end portion against axial movement, while the other joint bearing permits such axial movement of the supported shaft end portion. Consequently, the respective shaft freely assumes the bent position under the weight of the supported and rotating carding cylinder or worker roller.

It is advantageous to provide means for adjusting the distance between the shaft of each worker roller and thereby of the worker roller and its card clothing from the card clothing of the carding cylinder. Such adjustment may be obtained by providing eccentric shaft portions in the self-aligning bearings supporting the worker rollers on the respective shafts.

In the arrangement of the invention, the position of the axis of rotation of the carding cylinder "and of the worker rollers, is independent of the rotation of the same. The bent condition of the shafts supporting the carding cylinder and worker rollers has no effect on the circumferential walls of the same, or on the supporting frame of the machine. The distance between the carding cylinder, and the carding flats or worker rollers, doffer rollers, and stripper roller does not change during rotation. Consequently, very small distances between the card clothings of the carding cylinder and of the carding flats, or respectively the card clothing of the worker rollers, can be maintained during operation.

Since the carding cylinder and worker rollers must *be directly driven, it is preferred to secure a pulley or gear directly to the carding cylinder and to each worker roller which is driven by transmission means from a motor. Consequently, the driving torques cannot produce a deformation of the cylindrical wall of the carding cylinder, or of the supporting frame.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understod from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanyin g drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view taken on line II in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view taken on line II--II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary axial sectional view on an enlarged scale illustrating the shaft and bearing arrangement of a worker roller;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the arrangement of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a different type of carding machine provided with a shaft and bearing arrangement according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The carding machine illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a supporting frame 11 including two lateral walls. A main shaft has end portions mounted in joint bearings 21 and 21a. Each joint bearing includes an outer annular socket part secured to the respective wall 11, and an inner ball part receiving a shaft end portion so that the same can be angularly displaced in relation to the respective wall 11. Shaft end portion 10a is mounted in bearing 21a for axial movement, and shaft end portion 10b has spaced flanges engaging bearing 21 and blocking axial movement of shaft 10. Shaft end portion 10b may be fixedly secured to the ball portion of joint bearing 21.

A carding cylinder 2 has a cylindrical wall covered by card clothing 8, and a pair of lateral walls supporting self-aligning bearings in hubs 9. The first self-aligning bearing includes an outer socket part 13 and an inner ball part 12 in which shaft portion 10a is rotatably mounted. Shaft portion 10d has two flanges engaging part 12 and blocking movement of shaft 10 in axial direction. The second self-aligning bearing has an outer socket part 13a secured to hub 9 and an inner ball part 1211 supporting a shaft portion 100 for axial movement. Self-aligning bearings 12, 13 and 12a, 13a mount carding cylinder 2 for free rotation on shaft 10, and when the same is bent by the weight of the carding cylinder. The self-aligning bearings 12, 13 and 12a, 13a, as well as the joint bearings 21 and 21a, permit the shaft to assume a bent position in which the end portions 101: and 10b extend at an angle to each other without deforming the side walls of carding cylinder 2, and without transmitting a deforming torque to the side walls 11.

A pulley 16 is secured to one side wall of carding cylinder 2 and is driven by a belt 20 from another pulley on the shaft of a motor 17. Consequently, drive means 17, 20, 16 act on carding cylinder 2 directly to rotate the same on shaft 10 which remains at a standstill, and cannot cause any oscillations. Since pulley 16 is directly secured to the carding cylinder and has a common axis of rotation, the driving torque cannot produce any deformation of the carding cylinder or of the supporting frame 11.

As best seen in FIG. 1, feeding rollers 30 supply a lap, not shown, to the licker-in roller 1 whose teeth deliver the material to the card clothing 8 of carding cylinder 2, so that the material is stripped from the licker-in roller and carried upward into the region of the worker rollers 5 which are covered by card clothing 8a. The material is picked oif the card clothing 8 by the card clothing 8a of the worker rollers 5, while the stripper rollers 19 carry the material back to the carding cylinder. Finally, the dotfer roller 4 with card clothing 8b removes the material.

Each worker roller 5 is mounted by two self-aligning bearings on a shaft 18, only one self-aligning bearing being visible in FIG. 2. Each self-aligning bearing includes an outer socket portion 23, 23a secured to the end wall of the worker roller, and an inner ball part 22, 22a sliding on an eccentric cylindrical shaft portion 18d whose outer diameter is greater than the diameter of the remaining shaft 18, and whose axis is parallel to the axis of the same. The same construction is provided for the selfaligning bearing at the other end of shaft 18. Shaft portion 18d has two flanges cooperating with hearing part 22b to block axial movement of shaft 18, while selfaligning bearing 22a, 23a at the other end of shaft 18 permits free axial movement of the respective shaft portion 18a, as described with reference to bearing 12a, 13a.

A pulley 16a is secured to one end wall of worker roller 5 and forms part of a pulley and belt transmission by which all working rollers 5 are rotated from motor 17.

The end portions 18a and 18b of each shaft 18 are mounted in joint bearings 25a, 25 supported by Walls 11 of the machine frame. Each joint bearing 25, 250 includes an inner ball part and an outer socket part permitting shaft end portions 18a and 18b to assume positions defining an angle with each other. Shaft end portion 18b is secured by pin 29 to the ball part of bearing 25, while shaft end portion 18a is mounted for free axial movement in bearing 250.

A dial 27 with a scale is secured by a pin 28 to shaft end portion 18b which has a square end portion to which a handle, not shown, can be attached for turning shaft 18 with bearing part 25 if screw 29 which effects clamping of bearing part 25, is loosened, as shown in FIG. 4. When the handle turns the shaft, eccentric portions 24 displace the respective worker roller 5 in radial direction and vary the radial distance of the Worker roller 5 from carding cylinder 2 until the desired minimum distance is obtained. A fixed mark on wall 11 cooperates with the scale on dial 27 so that the adjusted distance is indicated.

When carding cylinder 2, worker roller 5, stripper rollers 7 on shaft 19, runner roller 6 on a shaft 18', and doffer roller 4 on shaft 18" are rotated, the distances between the card clothing 8 of the carding cylinder, and the card clothings of the cooperating rollers are exactly maintained and remain constant since shaft 10, carding cylinder 2, worker rollers 5, and side walls 11 do not oscillate due to the fact that shaft 10, which is bent by the weight of the carding cylinder 2, does not rotate. Furthermore, the walls of carding cylinder 2 are not deformed by the bent shaft 10 since self-aligning bearings 12, 13 and 12a, 13a permit an angle different from between the shaft end portions and the side walls of the carding cylinder. The same applies for the worker rollers 5, the runner roller 6, the dofier roller 8 and any other roller which is mounted in accordance with the invention as explained for the carding cylinder 2 and a worker roller 5.

The bending of the shafts, one end portion of which is blocked against axial movement, causes a movement of the free shaft end portion in axial direction which is permitted by the above-explained construction of bearings 12a, 13a and 25a so that shaft end portion 10a cannot exert inward directed axial pressure on the respective side wall of the carding cylinder.

The embodiment of FIG. 5 illustrates a modified construction of the carding machine in which the card clothing 35 of a carding cylinder 32 cooperates with a licker-in roller 31, a dolfer roller 32, and a plurality of endless carding flats 33 which are driven by rollers 36 mounted on shaft 37. Carding cylinder 32 is mounted on a shaft 40.

The shaft and bearing arrangement by which carding cylinder 32 is supported on shaft 40 is the same as described with reference to carding cylinder 2 and shaft 10 with reference to FIG. 2. The shaft and bearing arrangement by which rollers 31 and 34 are mounted on the respective shafts 38 and 39 is the same as described for worker roller 5 and shaft 18 with reference to FIG. 2.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of shaft and bearing arrangements ditfering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in self-aligning bearings supporting a carding cylinder on a non-rotatable shaft which is mounted in self-aligning bearings on the supported frame of the machine, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. Shaft and bearing arrangement for a carding machine, comprising in combination, a shaft; supporting means for said shaft; carding means; self-aligning bearing means supporting said carding means on said shaft for rotation while said shaft is in a condition bent by the weight of said carding means, said self-aligning bearing means including first and second self-aligning bearings spaced along said shaft and supporting said cardingmeans on said shaft for rotation, said first self-aligning bearing having means for blocking movement of said carding means in axial direction, and said second self-aligning bearing supporting said carding means for axial movement; and drive means for rotating said carding means relative to said shaft so that the same does not rotate.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said supporting means include a supporting frame, and first and second joint bearings supported on said frame and mounting axially spaced end portions of said shaft; said first joint bearing having means for blocking rotation, and movement of said shaft in axial direction, and said second joint bearing supporting the respective shaft end portion for axial movement, said first joint bearing being located outward of said first self-aligning bearing and said second joint bearing being located outward of said second self-aligning hearing so that the first end portion of said shaft located in said first bearings does not move in axial direction and the second end portion of said shaft located in said second bearings can move axially in the same, and so that said first and second shaft end portions can assume a position defining an angle with each other when said non-rotatable shaft is bent by the weight of said carding means.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2 wherein said carding means is a main carding cylinder.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2 wherein said carding means is a worker roller.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the portions of said shaft supported in said self-aligning first and second bearings are eccentric to the axis of said selfaligning first and second bearings and of said shaft so that by angular displacement of said shaft about said axis, said worker roller is displaced in a direction transverse to said axis of rotation.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2 wherein said carding means is a carding cylinder; and wherein said drive means comprise a motor, and transmission means connecting said motor with said carding cylinder and including a member secured to said carding cylinder for rotation with the same.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said carding means is a carding cylinder; wherein said supporting means include a supporting frame and joint bearing means supported on said frame and mounting said shaft with said carding cylinder on said supporting frame; comprising a plurality of second shafts parallel with said first-mentioned shaft and equidistant from the same, said supporting means supporting said second shafts; a plurality of worker rollers; and second self-aligning bearing means supporting said worker rollers, respectively, on said second shafts for rotation.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 7 wherein said supporting means include second joint bearing means mounting said second shafts so that said second selfaligning bearing means support said worker rollers on said second shafts, and said second joint bearing means support said second shafts in a condition of said second shafts bent by the weight of said worker rollers, respectively.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second self-aligning bearing means includes other first and second self-aligning bearings; and wherein each of said first and second joint bearing means includes first and second joint bearings, two first bearings being located at one end of each of said shafts and said two second bearings being located at the other end of each of said shafts.

10. Shaft and bearing arrangement for a carding machine, comprising, in combination, a shaft; carding means; self-aligning bearing means supporting said carding means on said shaft for rotation while said shaft is in a condition bent by the weight of said carding means; drive means for rotating said carding means relative to saidshaft so that the same does not rotate; a supporting frame; and joint bearing means including first and second joint bearings supported on said supporting frame and mounting the end portions of said bent shaft in positions defining an angle with each other, said first joint bearing having means for blocking movement of said shaft in axial direction, and said second joint bearing supporting the respective shaft end portion for axial movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,103,465 12/1937 Kinzie 30872 2,123,754 7/ 1938 Talbot. 3,001,841 9/1961 Glavan et a1 308-494 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,252,912 12/1960 France.

242,992 8/1926 Great Britain. 1,036,827 7/ 1966 Great Britain.

DORSEY NEWTON, Primary Examiner 

